In Memory of Harry

It is with sadness that I write that today our good friend & dog, Harry, died. He had begun to decline more rapidly over the past couple of weeks. Angela and I were on either side of Harry when our vet put him to sleep, just as he had slept in the middle of our bed for so many years. There comes a point when our love of keeping our pet near us is overcome by the desire to let him have the rest he deserved.

Our children had been able to say goodbye this morning before getting on the school bus. Harry spent part of his last night back in our bed sleeping, albeit restlessly, between us. I finally gave in to spoiling him with treats of human food. Even I couldn’t resist that begging face forever, I suppose.

So, to my friend who has slept at my feet everyday at work for nearly a decade now:

Harry, you were as loyal and wonderful of a friend as we could have ever hoped for. You were a giant personality in a small size; without fear but friendly to everyone you met. Especially when they happened to be a lady. You really liked the ladies, you old dog. You were a good dog, though, and I honestly cannot think of a better thing to say about anyone.

Where ever you are now, there aren’t any vacuum cleaners, thunderstorms, or smoke detectors with dead batteries to bother you. And there are many wonderful things to sniff and pee on. Sometimes those are the same things. And, if it is true that all dogs go to heaven, then surely you can see Angela at every moment of the day which will make your short nub of a tail wiggle with joy. She always was your favorite human or anything, right pal? Being able to watch her all day would truly be your greatest wish, I’m sure.

I want to say thank you again for all the years of companionship and love you showed Angela, me, and our family. It is a mystery to me how such a large heart fit into your little body. But thank you for being our dog and our friend through everything. It’s just hard to grasp that your life spanned most of the time Angela and I have been together. You’ve been there since near the beginning and were such a huge part of our building a life together. We’re better off for having had your in our lives. I think you would feel the same way.

Harry is survived by his adoring human family, Angela, Jason, Ainsley, & Wyatt along with this big/little sister, Maggie, the Airedale. If I’m being honest, though, part of what makes this post even more difficult is knowing that Maggie isn’t really in good health, either. Knowing that today was just the first part of losing our pets is particularly heartbreaking. But I’ll write about Maggie another day.